Kicking off in Manchester this week

The 11th annual Women In Comedy Festival kicks off in Manchester on Thursday, and running through to October 15. Run by Jessica Toomey, director of the Frog and Bucket Comedy Club, it features  almost 80 shows  across six venues. Here are just eight of them…

1. Manford’s Comedy Club

The festival kicks off with this club night, featuring a packed line-up of  Harriet Dyer, Molly McGuinness, Sian Davies. Tal Davies, Alex Stringer, Tej Dhutia, Jules O'Brian. At Hope Mill Theatre at 3pm on Friday October 11

2. Lori Smith: ChuckleF*cker 

Lori is the wife of comic Paul Smith, and draws on her life living with a hugely successful comedian in her show, here presented as a work in progress. At  Fierce Bar at 8.45pm on Saturday October 5

3. Samantha Day: The Generations Game

The comic, pictured above, hosts live game show to find out which generation is best. She’s 56 (and former head of tax for accountancy giant KPMG in London)… but  does Gen X rule?She says: ‘When you are born shapes you even more than your family background. It’s been fascinating finding out the truth behind the stereotypes. And we’ve definitely got one thing in common:  each generation is insane in its own unique way.’ At  Fierce Bar at 4pm on Saturday October 5

4. Erin Jackson

A rising star on the New York comedy scene, she   made her Netflix debut in 2021 with a 20-minute stand -p special as a part of Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready. She currently writes for the Netflix sitcom The Upshaws, and has appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Conan, The Ellen DeGeneres Show,  and Last Comic Standing. At  Hope Mill Theatre at 8pm on Thursday October 10

5. Stefania Licari: Trust Me, I’m a Comedian

The Italian comedian and intensive care doctor talks about her challenging 160-mile non-stop ultra-marathon across the Sahara.   She says: ‘The ultra-marathon is a metaphor for the various stages in my life. The moral of the story is not to give up, as you never know how close you are to the finish line!  The message is even more important for women and I hope it provides the inspiration to move away from conventions and expectations. I’ve overcome many challenges, but it’s a fantastic time to be a female comedian and a migrant. The UK audiences are smart, contemporary and receptive to hearing new voices.’ At  Fierce Bar at 5.15pm on Saturday October 5

6. Nina Gilligan: Goldfish 

Fresh from a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe , the stand-up covered middle-aided memory loss, health anxiety and trauma, as well as revealing some of the darker side of the comedy industry in this significant show. At the Frog & Bucket at 6pm on Sunday October 56

7. Bee Babylon: One Upon A Time In Iceland

In 1810 a group of Scottish lords decided to venture to Iceland to have a look around. Now  Icelandic comedian Bee Babylon found a book one of them wrote about the journey, and has created this stand-up show (still a work-in-progess) about an embarrassing period in her nation’s history: after the Vikings ruled the oceans and before her country collapsed the European economy. At  Fierce Bar at 2.45pm on Sunday October 6 

8. Jules O’Brian: Avoid Excessive Cleavage (and other advice to ignore)

O’Brian is a teacher tuned comic who’s previously been a Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award nominee and supported Luisa Omielan on tour. Armed with a cardboard cut-out of Liz Hurley and a trusty glass of pinot, her Woman In Comedy  show revolves around her battle against unsolicited advice and the absurdities of middle age. Speaking about appearing at the festival, she said: ‘To be performing alongside so many brilliant, ambitious and funny women is quite the dream come true.' At  Fierce Bar at 2.30pm on Saturday October 12 

• Also look out for shows from Laura Lexx, Rachel Fairburn, Freyar Parker, Harriet Dyer, Sian Davies, Ola Labib, Vix Leyton's Comedy Arcade panel show, and former BBC New Comedy Award winner Anna Thomas among many more - download the programme here.

Published: 29 Sep 2024